The Surprise of Lamara Olejlo (14–15 February 1875) was the unauthorized night attack by which kapitein von Ende, commandant of the new post at Mandarsa Poeti, slipped across the sawah with part of his garrison on the night of 14–15 February 1875, occupied the abandoned Atjehnese benteng at Lamara Olejlo before dawn, and held it against the enemy’s morning return — receiving from Pel both formal praise and a reprimand, for, as Borel puts it, “he had fully deserved both; the achieved success made everything good.”
Von Ende’s reconnaissance
Von Ende had noticed that the Atjehneezen left the fortification at the northern rand of Lamara each evening and returned in the morning. He verified this personally, creeping across the sawah on a dark night with a few men. Without asking permission, he resolved to seize the empty works.
The night march
On the night of 14–15 February 1875 von Ende crossed the sawah with part of the Mandarsa Poeti garrison and occupied the abandoned fortification. He at once reported to Pel and asked for reinforcements. Between eight and four in the morning the Atjehneezen arrived, as usual — and to considerable surprise met with Beaumont salvoes. Von Ende beat off their attempt to retake the works and held with a handful until reinforcements under overste van Dentekom arrived, then Romswinckel. Fighting continued all morning as the Atjehneezen streamed in from all sides. The whole Lamara Olejlo stelling remained permanently in Dutch hands.
The booty
Three or four enemy bentengs, several cannons and lillas fell into Dutch hands, including a 4-pounder that had fired on Mandarsa Poeti — it had no carriage but was ingeniously suspended on ropes, so that it could be elevated and trained by hand. The device is one of Borel’s recurring exhibits of Atjehnese mechanical ingenuity.
Borel’s verdict
Von Ende received from Pel both formal praise for courage and a reprimand for the unauthorized action; Borel’s verdict is characteristically double: “he had fully deserved both; the achieved success made everything good.” The day’s cost was one dead, about twelve severely wounded, and two officers wounded after the fight was already over. The post at Lamara Olejlo became a south-eastern anchor of the stelling-Pel completed in May 1875.
See Also
- Kapitein von Ende
- Generaal Pel
- Lamara Olejlo
- Lamara
- Mandarsa Poeti
- Majoor Romswinckel
- Lilla
- Benteng
- Beaumont-geweer
- Sawah
- Stelling-Pel
- Completion of the defensive ring around Kota Radja (May 1875)
- 1875
Source
Onze vestiging in Atjeh, critisch beschreven, by G. F. W. Borel, Kapitein der Artillerie. ‘s-Gravenhage: D. A. Thieme, 1878. pp. 250–251.